Musings of the Obsessive Kind

Hmmm, the upcoming Chu-Han Contention is leaving me with a massive craving for a serious cdrama period epic. I guess I should finish the 2003 take on the Chu-Han story (which I liked. Hu Jun, mmmmmmm) but I might get to be in Chu-Han overload.

So, is The Great Revival any good? I know Chen Daoming is very highly regarded.

And Ady An playing a legendary beauty is a bonus (though I believe she's a supporting character in this one).

Also, argh! This just reminds me that I want Chen Kun/Sonija Kwok's take on this story (Conquest) subbed - because so pretty.

Some of you may remember my obsessing over period cdrama Four Women Conflict back in the spring.

I finally had to stop midway through because it was too angsty and overwrought even for me to take in one sitting. I mean it. FWC makes the most overwrought, makjang kdrama seem like a cheery slice-of-life romcom.



But of course, I cannot stay away for long, so I continue my foray in the world of the angstiest, most star-crossed lovers ever, the whole town full of psychos (I literally want everyone in this dead except for Playboy/Heroine) and, especially, Puppy Killer. We cannot forget Puppy Killer!



Also, I'd say that this drama gives me the worst, miserable wedding ever (courtesy of the psycho mom of Playboy) but that is not true because the winner for that title is heroine's first wedding. At least she is not married off against her will to a disgusting abuser who sells her off to a rapist on the wedding night.

Yeah, it's that type of cheery drama.

What I really want is for the heroine to snap and go on a murderous rampage through the town. I am sure Playboy will help.

Some of you may remember my obsessing over period cdrama Four Women Conflict back in the spring.

I finally had to stop midway through because it was too angsty and overwrought even for me to take in one sitting. I mean it. FWC makes the most overwrought, makjang kdrama seem like a cheery slice-of-life romcom.



But of course, I cannot stay away for long, so I continue my foray in the world of the angstiest, most star-crossed lovers ever, the whole town full of psychos (I literally want everyone in this dead except for Playboy/Heroine) and, especially, Puppy Killer. We cannot forget Puppy Killer!



Also, I'd say that this drama gives me the worst, miserable wedding ever (courtesy of the psycho mom of Playboy) but that is not true because the winner for that title is heroine's first wedding. At least she is not married off against her will to a disgusting abuser who sells her off to a rapist on the wedding night.

Yeah, it's that type of cheery drama.

What I really want is for the heroine to snap and go on a murderous rampage through the town. I am sure Playboy will help.

And it's gorgeous (and English-subbed).

Love period dramas? Angsty love stories? Intrigue? Women-centric narratives? Cool costumes? Seeing Feng Shao Feng and Ady An? Then this is for you.



Looks about as cheery as the usual FSF/Ady outing. Which is, predictably, very much up my alley. (Ummmm, does he become a rebel? And gets branded? And she saves him by ditching him and agreeing to love her creepy husband as a bargain? Oh, I am so very sick).

Cannot wait.

You know, Ady is in the running for my favorite Chinese/Taiwanese actress at this rate.

I sort of assumed that if you were a denizen of a harem, the only company you got was (a) other ladies (b) eunuchs (c) emperor, who's probably old, fat and/or full of STDs.

I did not realize you get your own poseable Feng Shao Feng if you signed up. Hmmmmmm - time to consider a career change, self?

Anyway, the above is related to an upcoming period cdrama called (surprise, surprise!) The Royal Harem and it reunites Ady An and Feng Shao Feng yet again, this time as yet another star-crossed pair. She's one of the new concubines imported into the palace in order to help the emperor to produce an heir. He's...well, not the emperor. You can see how well this is going to end, I am sure.

Full disclaimer - I have no idea of the ending, but come on, who are we kidding? It's a period drama and she's the emperor's concubine. And in any event, Ady/FSF seem to specialize in shippy misery x infinity. Though when I was joking that they should start lopping limbs off for their next drama as it's about the only angsty thing that hasn't happened to them on-screen, I was kidding. But seeing they stuck them in the Ming Dynasty, apparently not.

( Delicious delicious delicious caps )

Can't wait!!!

I sort of assumed that if you were a denizen of a harem, the only company you got was (a) other ladies (b) eunuchs (c) emperor, who's probably old, fat and/or full of STDs.

I did not realize you get your own poseable Feng Shao Feng if you signed up. Hmmmmmm - time to consider a career change, self?

Anyway, the above is related to an upcoming period cdrama called (surprise, surprise!) The Royal Harem and it reunites Ady An and Feng Shao Feng yet again, this time as yet another star-crossed pair. She's one of the new concubines imported into the palace in order to help the emperor to produce an heir. He's...well, not the emperor. You can see how well this is going to end, I am sure.

Full disclaimer - I have no idea of the ending, but come on, who are we kidding? It's a period drama and she's the emperor's concubine. And in any event, Ady/FSF seem to specialize in shippy misery x infinity. Though when I was joking that they should start lopping limbs off for their next drama as it's about the only angsty thing that hasn't happened to them on-screen, I was kidding. But seeing they stuck them in the Ming Dynasty, apparently not.

( Delicious delicious delicious caps )

Can't wait!!!

1. Have some angsty Playboy from Four Women Conflict.

( Caps, pretty caps )

2. ockoala just informed me that FSF and Yang Mi are going to play the OTP of contemporary cdrama Destiny's Concerto. Normally, modern-day cdramas are rarely my thing but I am going to give it a try just for them. Together with JPLH, its movie sequel and Legend of Tiger Amulet, that's four times they have been paired in one year (!!!!). I've seen some griping on spcnet about it (why?) but I am doing an ecstatic jig because they sort of my became my favorite drama pairing and I am so very happy to see them together again.

3. I wasn't particularly interested in Schemes of Beauty before but it's made by the same guy who made FWC and JPLH, it has FSF and Yang Mi (not as an OTP, but that is even more fun. Yang Mi's OTP in this is Four, a.k.a. Mikey He, and FSF's otp is Myolie Wu). Must check this out now - I believe viki has it. Have these two MVs for the two OTPs ( Behind cut )

4. And speaking of Yang Mi/Mikey He - I am on ep 16 of JPLH and I do believe Four might be developing feelings for our intrepid heroine. How do I know? Well, he hesitates to slit her throat while she's lying there unconscious after having taken a sword stab to save his life. He decides not to kill her (on the off chance she's somehow implicated in something against him - hello, paranoia!) despite being really tempted.





Now we know that with Four this is as good as shouting from the rooftops that it's LOVE!

5. Thanks for the heads-up, hanjae. Trailer for FSF/Yang Mi Warring States awesomesauce collab Legend of Tiger Amulet is out:



I want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The idea of a party in the misbegotten town Lanyan lives in seems to be going to see a public hanging of Lanyan for murder while throwing things at her. WTF. The glee is exceptional because she dared to break the whole "he abuses you but you keep mum" thing so in punishing her, they are restoring natural order. Barf.

Playboy, who must have a deathwish the breadth of the Nile, has meanwhile escaped his household's protective custody and is off to find her and, when he finds her being marched to her execution, insists if she's getting executed, he should be executed too ("Dead or alive, I'll share everything with you. I won't leave you." Ahhhhh, swoooooooon). And then he starts yelling he's the one who killed Lanyan's husband. Oh, you crazy crazy awesome darling. ILY. You clearly are some sort of a genetic aberration in this area though, or maybe a mutation, because you actually act like a Y-chromosome possessor I do not want to strangle - the sole one in this place of lunacy.

And then they both get beaten up by the crowd which doesn't seem to want to wait for the proper hanging.

Seriously, this town is the pits. I want to take the OTP and move them about 2000mi away.

Oh, and I sort of forgive Childhood Love (though I don't want him with Lanyan in a million years) because he was investigating the murder in hopes of clearing her. You are useful for something, after all. He finds out they didn't do it in the nick of time.

It turns out the real murderer was...ta-dun...puppy killer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For once, I don't blame her because Lanyan psycho hubby tried to rape her.

I am glad he's dead. Buhbye psycho! You actually made me root for puppy killer.

ETA: They accidentally convicted heroine best friend's brother (try saying that ten times fast) for murder instead and killed him. Puppy killer had a good time framing him. Well, that should put a spoke in Childhood Love/Best Friend courtship. A pity, as that pair of sanctimonious pigs fit each other like a pair of gloves.

ETA2: And now they are sending Lanyan to a nunnery (!!!!) because they are afraid it will look bad if they release her and she marries Playboy. WTF! I mean, if both of them are innocent, and she's a widow now, who the hell cares? When Playboy dares to protest both her punishment and his feelings, everyone is horrified as if he's just contracted the plague and Childhood Love, fast losing the meagre points he gained by his investigation, hits him while Playboy is tied up (very honorable of him) because Childhood Love is feeling inadequate in the face of someone actually openly showing love. As well he should, as Childhood Love and every other male in this hellhole, wouldn't know what it is to love a woman if their grimy obnoxious lives depended on it. This town really is in purgatory.

The idea of a party in the misbegotten town Lanyan lives in seems to be going to see a public hanging of Lanyan for murder while throwing things at her. WTF. The glee is exceptional because she dared to break the whole "he abuses you but you keep mum" thing so in punishing her, they are restoring natural order. Barf.

Playboy, who must have a deathwish the breadth of the Nile, has meanwhile escaped his household's protective custody and is off to find her and, when he finds her being marched to her execution, insists if she's getting executed, he should be executed too ("Dead or alive, I'll share everything with you. I won't leave you." Ahhhhh, swoooooooon). And then he starts yelling he's the one who killed Lanyan's husband. Oh, you crazy crazy awesome darling. ILY. You clearly are some sort of a genetic aberration in this area though, or maybe a mutation, because you actually act like a Y-chromosome possessor I do not want to strangle - the sole one in this place of lunacy.

And then they both get beaten up by the crowd which doesn't seem to want to wait for the proper hanging.

Seriously, this town is the pits. I want to take the OTP and move them about 2000mi away.

Oh, and I sort of forgive Childhood Love (though I don't want him with Lanyan in a million years) because he was investigating the murder in hopes of clearing her. You are useful for something, after all. He finds out they didn't do it in the nick of time.

It turns out the real murderer was...ta-dun...puppy killer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For once, I don't blame her because Lanyan psycho hubby tried to rape her.

I am glad he's dead. Buhbye psycho! You actually made me root for puppy killer.

ETA: They accidentally convicted heroine best friend's brother (try saying that ten times fast) for murder instead and killed him. Puppy killer had a good time framing him. Well, that should put a spoke in Childhood Love/Best Friend courtship. A pity, as that pair of sanctimonious pigs fit each other like a pair of gloves.

ETA2: And now they are sending Lanyan to a nunnery (!!!!) because they are afraid it will look bad if they release her and she marries Playboy. WTF! I mean, if both of them are innocent, and she's a widow now, who the hell cares? When Playboy dares to protest both her punishment and his feelings, everyone is horrified as if he's just contracted the plague and Childhood Love, fast losing the meagre points he gained by his investigation, hits him while Playboy is tied up (very honorable of him) because Childhood Love is feeling inadequate in the face of someone actually openly showing love. As well he should, as Childhood Love and every other male in this hellhole, wouldn't know what it is to love a woman if their grimy obnoxious lives depended on it. This town really is in purgatory.

I really loved the scene where Lanyan found the town magistrate and told him she killed her husband. So calmly. But not before burning the money with which Playboy was going to buy her freedom so as not to incriminate him. I just love this scene for so many reasons:

a. Even though she's bound in the traditional role forced on her by society, Lanyan has a spine of steel. To do that - to dispose of the evidence and then to voluntarily come out and confess, not hide or try to come up with an excuse or try to use Playboy's prestige as a shield - she's amazing.
b. First Love's reaction - he can't believe it "you are so kind, how can you kill a man?" and her reply "life is hard, everything changes." Because that is why First Love is not worthy of her and never will be worthy of her - he doesn't love the real Lanyan, he loves this constructed image in his head that has little to do with her. He's happier relinquishing her because that way his fantasy doesn't have to come in contact and conflict with reality. And because it is all his fault. He left the woman he claimed he loved (and who loved him) in the clutches of a man he knew was an abuser, a rape-enabler, a total piece of scum because he felt "sorry" for the man. He put feeling "noble" about the very basic well-being of the woman he "loved." Yeah. Go die.
c. Lanyan can love to an amazing degree. See her protecting Playboy (who, true, didn't kill hubby, but Lanyan killed hubby to protect him). But, at last, she's found someone worthy of being loved/protected because, I bet anything, Playboy isn't going to let her do this - he will try to either save her or share her punishment. And I am so glad that, for once, her efforts are for someone worthy.

ETA: She's sentenced to death??????!!! She's obviously going to get out of it or it will be a very short drama, but I have no idea how. And I am glad Playboy didn't disappoint me. The second he heard she was arrested, he was going to go and find her/confess/try to get her out/etc only his mother (for once I totally get her) had him locked up and under guard because she doesn't want her sole son to be offed for murder.